The Forest and Wildlife Department on Saturday seized a captive elephant that had been illegally transferred by a temple in Alappuzha.
The tusker, 20-year-old Harikrishnan, was confiscated and brought to the elephant rehabilitation centre at Kottoor after it came to light that its custodian, Moodayil Sree Krishna Temple, near Haripad, had transferred it to an individual in Thiruvananthapuram.
The elephant was illegally kept at a location in Nedumangad since September last.
Sumi Joseph, Assistant Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry), Alappuzha, who led the operation said the animal was apparently shifted out of the temple owing to inability to ensure its proper maintenance and provide shelter in accordance with the prescribed norms. The temple, which had been gifted the elephant by a devotee over a decade ago, also did not possess its ownership certificate.
Provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and Kerala Captive Elephant (Management and Maintenance) Rules, 2003, have been invoked against the custodian of the elephant.
Deterioration
Harikrishnan possessed only one tusk with the other being claimed to have fallen off owing to its gradual deterioration.
The animal was regularly paraded during temple festivals by attaching an artificial tusk, made of fibre.
Another forest official, privy to the operation, dismissed claims of the elephant having suffered osteoporosis or any such ailments as was being claimed.
Physical disability was not found in any other parts of its body.
There were reasons to suspect that the elephant could have contracted an infection on the socket after its tusks were cut off in the past.
The infection could have led to the particular stump falling off. The second tusk was found to be growing, the official said.
Animal activists have alleged that the elephant had been held by elephant contractors who accepted the animals from their custodians on rent and handed them over to other contractors for parading at festivals.
